Celtics' Kyrie Irving to miss remainder of season, playoffs

By BRETT BODNER

Apr 05, 2018 | 2:06 PM

The Celtics will be without their best player in the NBA playoffs, with Kyrie Irving missing the remainder of the season.

The point guard will undergo surgery Saturday to have two screws removed from his left patella tendon — which were implanted in 2015 injury — after a bacterial infection was found, the team announced Thursday afternoon. The fracture in his patella has "completely healed," and he's expected to make a full recovery in four to five months.

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On March 24, Irving had another procedure done to remove a tension wire that was placed in his knee at the same time as the screws.

At first the Celtics said the 26-year-old, who has been out of action since March 11, would only miss 3-6 weeks, but he ultimately needed season-ending surgery.

"The hardest thing to do sometimes is accept the uncontrollable things life throws at you," Irving wrote on Instagram Thursday afternoon, adding that this season was "only a snapshot of what's to come" from him.

Injured Isaiah Thomas, the former Celtic who was traded to Cavs and then the Lakers, even commented, "Minor setback fam #ThatSLOWgrind."

Kyrie Irving has been sidelined with a knee injury since March 11. (Kathy Willens/AP)

Prior to the injury, Irving was averaging 24.4 points, 5.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds this season.

Irving is just the latest bad news for the Celtics, who have been plagued by injuries.

Gordon Hayward fractured his tibia in the Celtics' first game of the season. He's currently rehabbing the injury, but Celtics coach Brad Stevens told ESPN that Hayward is still a "long, long way away" from basketball activities.

Guard Marcus Smart has also been sidelined with a thumb injury and he's expected to be out until early in the postseason.

The Celtics (53-25) are the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, losing to the top-seeded Raptors on Wednesday night.